The Whitby Litter Pickers
Sandgate, home to our shop, is a narrow and busy street. Each morning the shopkeepers sweep pavements, wash windows and exchange a few words before retreating inside for the day. It’s a small ritual, but one that reflects the pride people take in the street.
I had only just finished when a group of people in hi-vis vests carrying litter pickers passed the shop door. I managed a quick thank you before they disappeared towards the Market Place.
Later, a search on Facebook introduced me to the Whitby Litter Pickers. I was surprised to discover such a well-established group of volunteers operating quietly in the background. I recognised a few names, but until that morning I’d never really noticed the group or the work they do.
The same pride that sees shopkeepers tending to their little corner of Sandgate is evident in the Whitby Litter Pickers. Their patch simply happens to be much larger.
Bempton Cliffs – RSPB Nature Reserve
While I spent the bank holiday weekend visiting old friends in new places, my wife and children were visiting her parents at their caravan near Bempton Cliffs.
We spend plenty of time at “the van” during the warmer months, but don’t always make it to “the end” — the RSPB reserve itself. This time they did, so I’ll let Danielle take over from here.
We found ourselves visiting one evening after tea, just as the golden hour cast its final light across the meadows. Small birds sang and fluttered, hedge hopping between the grasses.
As we approached the cliff-edge viewing platforms, the calls of the seabirds took over. Guillemots, gannets and one lone puffin perched on the chalk faces below, looking out to sea.
After a long, slow day in the sunshine, it was comforting to be reminded that nature was still busy doing its thing.
As the light faded, people waited with cameras and binoculars, hoping to catch sight of the resident owl as it began its evening hunt across the meadows. We didn’t spot it this time, but we did see a yellowhammer.
The Norfolk Knife
It’s a bit of a stretch to call the Norfolk Knife useful, even if it does contain 75 blades.
Made over two years for the Great Exhibition of 1851, its purpose was not practicality but proof. It was created to demonstrate the extraordinary skill of Sheffield’s cutlers and to showcase what could be achieved when time, patience and craftsmanship were given free rein.
Every blade is etched and decorated. Every detail seems to say the same thing: look what we can do.
There is sometimes a fine line between pride and showing off, but occasions arise when it is worth putting your best work forward and letting it speak for itself. Master Cutler William Bamforth and his craftsmen certainly did that. More than 170 years later, the Norfolk Knife remains one of the most remarkable examples of British knife making.
We take pride in stocking knives made in Sheffield, perhaps by the descendants of those who built the city’s reputation for craftsmanship. Joseph Rodgers sits in our cabinet alongside makers such as Taylors Eye Witness and George Wostenholm Their knives are rather more practical than the Norfolk Knife, though the five-blade Taylors piece isn’t something many people carry every day.
The Norfolk Knife can still be seen at Cutlers’ Hall in Sheffield.
From Our Shelves
Beautiful
Our swim short collection from Swole Panda has a beautifully comfortable lining, not something normally said about swim shorts. Three bold prints and two plain colours means everyone is catered for.
Useful
A watch that might be as useful at starting conversations as it is as a time piece. All of our wrist watches combine wood and steel to create something thats just a little bit different.
Made Properly
This probably won’t be your everyday cary. Taylors Eye Witness Five Blade knife showcases the level of craftsmanship in Sheffield.
